Leslie Richard Groves Biography

Groves appoints Oppenheimer to head the project's secret weapons laboratory. From 1942-1946 under the control of the US Army Corps of Engineers, under the administration of General Leslie R. Groves

From 1942-1946 under the control of the US Army Corps of Engineers, under the administration of General Leslie R. Groves

Groves appoints Oppenheimer to head the project's secret weapons laboratory

Colonel Leslie Groves is assigned command of the Manhattan Engineering District

Colonel Leslie Groves is assigned command of the Manhattan Engineering District

Groves purchases about 1,250 tons of high-grade Belgian Congo uranium ore stored on Staten Island.

Groves is promoted to brigadier general shortly after taking command of the Manhattan Engineer District.

Groves purchases 52,000 acres (210 km) of land in Tennessee for "Site X", which will become the Oak Ridge, Tennessee laboratory and production site

Groves purchases 52,000 acres (210 km) of land in Tennessee for "Site X", which will become the Oak Ridge, Tennessee laboratory and production site

The Manhattan Project is given permission to use the highest wartime priority rating by the War Production Board

The Manhattan Project is given permission to use the highest wartime priority rating by the War Production Board

Groves places DuPont in charge of engineering and construction for the plutonium-production project.

During a visit to the Metallurgical Laboratory, Groves orders long-delayed engineering decisions for plutonium production to be settled within five days.

Leslie Richard Groves appoints Robert Oppenheimer to coordinate the scientific research of the project at the "Site Y" laboratory

Leslie Richard Groves appoints Robert Oppenheimer to coordinate the scientific research of the project at the "Site Y" laboratory

The Military Policy Committee decides to bypass pilot stages for major production methods and proceed directly toward industrial-scale plants.

Groves presses for the first Y-12 electromagnetic racetrack to be completed by July as detailed plant plans are reviewed.

Fencing of the Oak Ridge reservation is completed and the secret production site is closed to normal public access.

After repeated failures to operate the first Alpha racetrack reliably, Y-12 is shut down for major equipment rebuilding.

Groves and Oppenheimer decide to plan a full-scale fission-bomb test, and Groves authorises construction of the massive steel vessel called Jumbo.

Groves orders a change in the gaseous-diffusion barrier approach after continuing failures to produce a suitable barrier for K-25.

Groves orders rapid construction of the S-50 thermal-diffusion plant at Oak Ridge on an exceptionally compressed schedule.

Hanford's D Reactor reaches criticality with sufficient excess reactivity to overcome fission-product poisoning.

Groves forwards the Manhattan Project target group's recommendations to General George C. Marshall.

Groves drafts the directive authorising atomic attacks when bomb availability and weather permit, listing Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata and Nagasaki.

The Manhattan Engineer District is formally abolished, ending the Army organisation that built the first atomic bombs.